Abiding Darkness (The Black or White Chronicles #1) [Hardcover]

John Aubrey Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 2006

This sweeping saga weaves a riveting tale about a young girl's battle with one of hell's minions determined to destroy her and those closest to her. This is the first volume in the Black or White Chronicles series relating stories of life in the Deep South during its most tumultuous times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Lillian Thayer is such a powerful narrator that she makes this a 'driveway audiobook,' one that makes listeners not want to leave the car. She's outstanding as seven-year-old Missy, a child the devil and his legions have targeted. Especially impressive is how expertly Thayer portrays the rest of the cast, including Missy's friend Moses as well as the town bullies. Think born-again Stephen King and substitute devils for ghosts and monsters. This is a gripping piece of writing and narration.'' --AudioFile

''Great detail, intense scenes, and wonderful characters make Abiding Darkness a genuine page-turner. Anderson's carefully plotted story takes many unexpected and emotional twists. He knows how to create suspense and invoke emotion in the reader.'' --Library Review

''The characters in Abiding Darkness are rich and well-developed . . . [A] beautiful story, filled with the struggles of trying to live up to a price that was paid, just as all Christians must do. Recommended.'' -- Christian Fiction Review

''Anderson is adept at leaving the reader hanging at the end of each chapter with intriguing portents of the next plot twist.'' --Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

John Aubrey Anderson grew up in Mississippi cotton country. After graduating from Mississippi State, he received an Air Force commission and has recently retired after flying twenty-eight years for a major airline. The first in the Black or White series, Anderson's first novel, is a vehicle he hopes will ?sink the talons of eternal truth into the center of the reader's heart. He lives in Texas with his wife, Nan.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Warner Faith; First Edition edition (August 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446579491
• ISBN-13: 978-0446579490
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and hauntingly good book!, October 23, 2006

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abiding Darkness (The Black or White Chronicles #1) (Hardcover)

What happens when Good and Evil clash in the small town of Cat Lake, Mississippi?

It all starts in 1945 at Cat Lake Bridge. Missy Parker, her brother, Bobby, and their best friend, Junior Washington, are playing baseball when they are confronted by Hal Bainbridge and his wife, Estelle, who are just passing through the area. Hal and Estelle leave but the demon accompanying them stays behind. The demon is so enraged by Missy's defiance of Hal, that he vows to destroy every piece of Missy's life- and thus the war in Cat Lake begins.

Junior is a Christian and as such, he shares his faith regularly. Little does he realize it, but his faith is about to be tested- and in the process, Missy will gain her faith. Step back into the Mississippi country in 1945 to a town where Christianity unites those of all colors and the battle between demons and angels has just begun....

ABIDING DARKNESS: THE BLACK OR WHITE CHRONICLES BOOK ONE is a deeply moving story about the heart of Christianity. John Aubrey Anderson explains many of the basic tenets of the faith without being preachy or overbearing. His greatest strength, however, is the superb character development in which the reader sees realistic displays of Christianity in action. Missy's own journey with her faith is one many will relate to as she struggles to maintain her initial enthusiasm for Jesus. She becomes lax in her faith as time passes but renews her faith and experiences many of the same issues that Christians today deal with. The portrait of Missy is both stunning and awe-inspiring.

ABIDING DARKNESS: THE BLACK OR WHITE CHRONICLES BOOK ONE has numerous scenes that will touch the reader's heart. Perhaps, however, the scene at Cat Lake Bridge with Bobby, Missy, and Junior is the most memorable. The drama that unfolds is both poignant and heart-wrenching. This reviewer still cries every time that scene comes to mind.

Racial issues and their pertinence to Christianity are also very carefully and sensitively addressed by John Aubrey Anderson. Mississippi in 1945 was still a very segregated area but Christianity binds together those of different races. While Missy is white, her best friend, Junior, is African-American. ABIDING DARKNESS: THE BLACK OR WHITE CHRONICLES BOOK ONE demonstrates how Christianity is a matter of the heart and not a matter of skin color.

John Aubrey Anderson has amazed this reviewer with this awesome and touching story of the Christian faith. While somewhat reminiscent of Frank Peretti's PIERCING THE DARKNESS and THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, ABIDING DARKNESS: THE BLACK OR WHITE CHRONICLES BOOK ONE is by no means a carbon copy. Instead, Mr. Anderson has utilized a similar technique to Frank Peretti but placed his own folksy brand upon this incredible tale. ABIDING DARKNESS: THE BLACK OR WHITE CHRONICLES BOOK ONE has earned a cherished place on this reviewer's keeper shelf!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To know Him and make Him known, October 30, 2007

By 

D. W. Bryant "readersrleaders" (Tulare, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abiding Darkness (The Black or White Chronicles #1) (Hardcover)

What a remarkable book! To see realistic characters who are so devoted to the Lord and so quick to pray about their problems was very gratifying. The glimpses into the spirit world were believable. The snake attack and the attack of the deranged man were especially gripping. The various deep South dialects were probably hard work to write, but they came off well and added to the illusion of reality. I had never heard of this author prior to reading this book; he has won me over.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Page-turner, February 20, 2010

By 

Sally "SmilingSally" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abiding Darkness (The Black or White Chronicles #1) (Hardcover)

I found this book on a sale table and bought it a few years ago. This week, I picked it up and began reading it; I was hardly able to put it down! It is a different kind of Christian fiction. Angels and Demons speak and surround the well-written characters. Set in Mississippi cotton country, the dialog is "spot on," which is no surprise as the author is from that area.

Some will not like the "preachiness," but the author incorporated it into the storyline so well that I found it plausible.

There are several scenes that had me holding my breath. One of the best written is when the three children are playing in Cat Shore Lake. I had to stop and dry my eyes before I could finish reading.